Feed-water heater and purifier



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

O. E. FERRBIRA.

FEED WATER HEATER AND PURIFIBR. No. 400,319. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

N, PETERS. Phnlo-Lllhcgnphar, Wnslungmn. n c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

0. E. FERRBIRA.

FEED WATER HEATER AND PURIFIER.

No. 400,319. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

N pnzns. Phorv-Lithognphun Washington. 0. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E.FERREIRA, OF MORGAN PARK, ILLINOIS.

FEED-WATER HEATER AND PURlFlER;

sPEoIFIcATioN forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,319, dated March26, 1889.

Application filed January 15, 1889.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. FERREIRA, citizen of the United States,residing at Morgan Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feed-Water l-Ieaters andPurifiers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide for heating and purifyingwater, particularly water intended for use in steam-boilers; and theinvention consists in the features and combinations hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is -a vertical section of myimproved feed-water heater and purifier; Fig.2, a plan view of the same;Fig. 3, a horizontal section taken in line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4,ahorizontal section taken in line 4c 4 of Fig. 1.

A is the shell or sides of the heater; B, a water-chamber; O, asteam-chamber, and c an inlet for introducing exhaust-steam; D, asettling-chamber; (Z, a vertical partition in the settling-chamberperforated at or near its bottom, and d space separated by suchpartition; E, an inlet-pipe for introducing water into the heater, and ethe inner perforated end thereof; F, a pipe for conducting steam intothe water-chamber and through the water, and f the nozzle thereof; G, apipe for conducting the heated water to the settlingchamber; H, a pipefor introducinglive steam into the pipe leading from the water-chamberto the settling-chamber; I, a relief-pipe for the escape of surplussteam; K, an overflowpipe; L, the suction-pipe of the feed-pump; M,drain-valves, and N man-holes for cleaning out the chambers; O, a floatina side chamber to open or close a valve, P, in the water-inlet pipe;Q, a gage or indicator to show the water-level in the water-chamber; R,an inlet-pipe for introducing condensed steam from a trap or traps whendesired, and

S an inlet-pipe for introducing live steam into the steam-chamber whenexhaust-steam is not to be used.

As now generally constructed, feed-water heaters are not capable ofeconomically heating the water to the high temperature neces sary toprecipitate the impurities or scaleformingmatter to the extent necessaryto fully purify the water. My invention is intended to overcome thisobjection to a greater or less extent, and to secure other advantagesnot obtained by the feed-water heaters now in general use. p v

In constructing my improved feed-water heater and purifier I make ametallic shell of any size desired, according to the capacity of theboiler or boilers with which it is to be used. Insidev this shell I formchambers for water and steam by means of suitable partitions, thesechambers of course being sufficiently tight to hold the water and steam,respectively, and to prevent their mingling together except as desired.

I introduce the water into the water-cham ber by pumping or in any otherconvenient way through a pipe entering the shell, preferably from theside and as near the top as possible. This pipes terminates in asprinkler inside, preferably enlarged so as to distribute the water in aspray or shower. The inflow of water may be regulated by suitable valvesor in any other convenient way; butI prefer to use an ordinary float andbutterfly valve for this purpose.

Connected with the top of the steam-chamberthat is, with the partitionseparating it from the water-chamberis a pipe passing up and down ormaking turns through the water-chamber, and the steam passing throughthis pipe of course heats the body of water surrounding or in contactwith it. There may be only one of these pipes used or as many asdesired. I prefer to use severalas many as possibleso as to havenumerous inlets for the steam andto secure the greatest possible heatingsurface in the water. The upper end of each of these pipes is preferablyprovided with a horizontal nozzle, so that the water dropping or fallingfrom the sprinkler cannot enter the pipes and thus create backpressure.

Passing up from the settling-chamber to any height desired in thewater-chamber is a pipe intended to conduct the heated water into thesettling-chamber, and a pipe for the introduction of live steam mayenter or be connected with this water-pipe at any convenient point. Iprefer to turn the end of this steam-pipe and run it down in thewaterpipe a short distance, and to have its end closed by plugging orotherwise, and the sides of its turned-down portion perforated todistribute the steam laterally. By means of this pipe live steam may beintroduced directly into the comparatively small quantity of outflowingwater, so to commingle therewith, and thus superheat it or greatlyincrease its temperature. In this way the water can be heated to anytemperature required before or as it enters the settling-chamber, andthe temperature being suiiiciently high, of course the impurities orscale-forming matter are i mmediately precipitated in thesettling-chamber. I prefer and consider it important to have the livesteam thus introduced at a temperature sufficiently high to cause theimpurities or scale-forming matter to be rapidly and fully precipitated.I also prefer to have this pipe for the outflow of water at the center,and its upper end at a point about half way between the surface andbottom of the water, so as to draw off the water without scum, oil, orother floating matter, and with. as little as possible of the heavierimpurities. As will be seen then, impurities which can be precipitatedat about 21$ Fahrenheit are thus caused to remain in the water-chamber,and other impurities requiring a higher temperature to precipitate themare arrested in the settling chamber. The heated water drawn into thesettling-chamber is also al lowed to become more fully purified by thesettling or precipitating of the impurities therein before the waterrises high enough to enter the suction-pipe of the feed -pump. Theperforations in the lower part of the par tition in the water-chamber ofcourse permit the water to come out into the space leading to saidsuction-pipe, where it may still further settle. If desired, such spacemay be extended upwardly by continuing the partition to any pointdesired; but I prefer not to extend it higher than the upper end of thepipe which conducts the water from its first chamber to thesettling-chamber.

I prefer to have the water-level sufficiently high to facilitate thepumping of boiling wat r, and thus render the elevation of the heaterunnecessary. To prevent the water ever rising too high in thewater-chamber and as an outlet for the floating matter, I also providean overflow-pipe at the point intended for the highest water-level Ialso provide a suitable outlet-pipe to permit the escape of the surplussteam -that is, the steam not condensed by coming in contact with thewater. I prefer to have this exhaust-outlet immediately over the pointof water-distribution but it may be elsewhere. \Vhen the exhauststeam isused for other purposes, or when for any reason it becomes desirable todo so, I introduce live steam in sullicient quantities to heat thewater. In such case the live steam is introduced into the steam-chamberand generally takes the place of the exhaust-steam. In some cases, also,especially where soft water is used, only one kind of steam, either liveor exhaust, is necessary, and so I provide for the use of either livesteam or exhaust-steam, or both together, as circumstances may require.In some cases it may be desirable to use the water formed by thecondensation. of steam and caught in tanks, traps, or otherwise, and Ithen provide for the introduction of such water by a pipe or pipesextending from the vessel containing it and entering the heater at apoint as near as practicable to the exhaust-outlet for surplus steam.This arrange ment will be found particularly applicable when the heateris used in connection with boilers employed in heating buildings. Thesediment or impurities in the water and set tling chambers may beremoved or washed. out from time to time, as necessary, by open ing thedrain-valves from the chambers and through the man-hole in each of saidcham= bers.

Some of the advantages of my invention are that it provides for heatingand purifying water by the use of either live steam or exhaust-steam;that it also provides for heating and purifying water by the use of bothlive steam and exhaust-steam; that it also provides for an unusuallylarge heating-surface in and under the water; that it also provides fordrawing off the heated water without taking any of thefloatingimpurities or many of the 'nrecipitated impurities; that it alsoprovides for introducing live steam directly into the outi'lowing water,so as to superheat it or greatly increase its temperature, and thuscause the remaining impurities, which require a higher degree of heat,to be precipitated in the settling-chamber; that it also provides for awater-level high enough to facilitate the pumping of boiling water, andthus to obviate the necessity of elevatingthe heater; and, generally,that it is simple, efficient, and economical both in construction anduse.

Although my invention thus capable of producing many important results,it will of course be understood that I do not intend to limit myself toa construction in which all of them or any particular number of them areobtained 5 nor do I wish to be understood as limiting myself to minorfeatures or details of construction, or to the particular way or mode ofoperation described,

I do not herein claim the process of heat ing and of purifying waterabove described, the same being the subject of another application, No.301,133.

1. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a water-chamber providedwith a water-in let, a steam-chamber under the water-chamber, providedwith a steam-inlet, a pipe communicating with the steam-c-hai'nber andextending into the water-chamber for conducting steam through. thewater, and an outlet for drawing off the water, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a water-chamber providedwith a waterinlet, a steam-chamber provided with a steaminlet, a pipecommunicating with the steamchamber and extending into the water-chamberfor conducting steam through the water, a settling-chamber, a pipecommunicating between the water-chamber and the settlingchamber forconducting the water into the settling-chamber, and an outletcfordrawing off the water, substantially as described.

3. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a water-chamber providedwith a water-inlet, a steam=chamber under the water-chamber, providedwitha steam-inlet, a pipe communicating with the steam-chamber and eX-tending into the water-chamber for conductin g steam through the water,a settling-chamber under the steam-chamber, a pipe communicating betweenthe water-chamber and the settling-chamber for conducting the water intothe settling-chamber, and an outlet for drawing oii' the water,substantially as described.

4. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a water-chamber providedwith a water-inlet and a water-outlet, and a pipe communicating withaboiler and extending into the waterchamber for conducting steam throughthe water and terminating in a horizontal nozzle above the water-level,whereby the steam is distributed above the Water and back-pressureprevented, substantially as described.

5. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a water-chamber providedwith a water-inlet and a water-outlet, and a pipe communicating with aboiler and terminating in the water-outlet, whereby steam may beintroduced directly into the outflowing Water to superheat it,substantially as described.

6. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a water-chamber providedwith a water-in let and a water-outlet, a pipe communicating with aboiler and extending into the waterchamber for conducting steam throughthe water and terminating in a horizontal nozzle above the water-level,and a pipe communicating with the boiler and terminating in thewater-outlet, substantially as described.

7. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a water-chamber providedwith a water-inlet, and a pipe for drawing off the water, terminating atits upper end at a point in the chamber between the surface and bottomof the water and substantially below the surface, whereby the water maybe drawn off and most of the impurities left, substantially asdescribed.-

8. In a feed-water heater, the combination of a waterchamber providedwith a water-inlet, a steam-chamber provided with a steaminlet, a pipecommunicating with the steamchamber and extending into the water-chamberfor conducting steam through the water,

a settling-chamber under the steam-chamber provided with a verticalpartition perforated in its lower portion, a pipe communicating betweenthe water-chamber and the settlingchamber, terminating at its upper endat a point in the water-chamber between the surface and bottom of thewater, and an outlet for drawing off the water, substantially asdescribed.

CHARLES E. FERREIRA.

Witnesses:

EPHRAIM BANNING, SAMUEL E. HIBBEN.

